Discover a century of tennis history at Long Island antique shop

LONG ISLAND - Antique furniture isn’t out of bounds but if you’re charmed by tennis collectibles, John Rosini wants you to take a swing.

"I have a passion for tennis," he said.

Rosini owns Rosini Furniture Service, an antique restoration shop in Mineola, and he is a tennis buff. He decided to take over the store next door to showcase tennis over time.

The self-proclaimed compulsive collector started after he bought his first Jack Kramer wooden racquet in 1982.

"When the strings broke no one knew how to string it," Rosini said. "I went on eBay and realized there was a whole tennis racquet collectible market."

Now many of the market’s items are on display in Rosini’s tennis treasure trove. The bathroom is no exception. Artifacts on the shelves and in the showcases shed light on the more than century-old sport.

There’s a silk portrayal of lawn tennis from the 1890s, trophies and racquets that Rosini has bought online, at auction and acquired through word of mouth.

He has one of four field tennis clocks is from the late 1700s. The others are in the Wimbledon museum, Bob Everett’s collection, and the south of England.

Rosini plans to offer tours by appointment only.